Texas Rep. Bill Flores is offering his support for Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars of the HGTV home improvement show, “Fixer Upper,” after they were targeted by a hit piece published at BuzzFeed, the liberal activist news outlet.
“I am supporting and praying for @chippergaines & @joannagaines as the intolerant attack our Christian faith,” Flores wrote on Twitter.
The Republican’s district encompasses Waco, where the Gaineses film their show and operate various businesses.
Flores was responding to an attack piece published earlier this week by BuzzFeed reporter Kate Aurthur. In the smear job, Aurthur asked several vague questions about the gay marriage views of the Gaineses and their pastor, Jimmy Seibert.
Aurthur was unable to determine whether the couple, like Seibert, holds traditional biblical views on the issue. And because she lacked that information, Aurthur was forced to ask the question of whether Seibert’s traditional views had some sort of link to HGTV’s policy towards gay couples appearing on “Fixer Upper.”
After numerous readers criticized the piece, BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith defended the article on Twitter. He claimed that the article was not an attack piece on the Gaineses. Instead, he said it raised legitimate questions about a popular TV show that aired on a popular TV network. (RELATED: BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Doubles Down On Smear Job Against Chip And Joanna Gaines)
As many readers pointed out, nearly all of the article was dedicated to Seibert’s views and the Gaineses comments about being Christians.
After the article went viral, HGTV issued a statement saying that the network and the show have no prohibitions against gay couples appearing on “Fixer Upper.”
After smearing the Gaineses in that initial piece, BuzzFeed published an article on Friday promoting Magnolia Market, the store and entertainment complex that the Gaineses operate in Waco.